The Master Symbol as a Key to Understanding Organization Communication.

Smith, David H.

Oral communication is the primary mode used by members of organizational groups to build and intercommunicate shared cultural myths and values. Verbal communication within organizational groups--businesses, church congregations, nursing teams, and the like--is the foundation of the reality shared by members of the groups. Finding the master operating symbol used in intercommunication and the reality myths communicated is a new and efficient way of analyzing organizational communication. Organizations use common symboling and members consistently express the same values and themes. Members of test organizations tended to perceive events in the same ways. Usefulness of master symbols for analysis of organizations has not yet been supported with statistical data, but intuitive examination indicates that the concept can yield new information about organizational dynamics. (CH)